'Black Panther' set to be one of the highest grossing films in history

The Disney and Marvel Studios film 'Black Panther' has been celebrated, but the accolades were unfounded. Chadwick Boseman stars in the movie﻿. Picture: Marvel Studios

The new Marvel movie is on course to become one of the highest-grossing blockbusters in history

The much-discussed new Marvel film - which stars the likes of Chadwick Boseman, Michael B Jordan and Lupita Nyong'o - has achieved one of the biggest-ever second weekend of ticket sales, earning an estimated $108 million in the US, plus a further $83.8 million internationally.

As a result, 'Black Panther' - which features a predominantly black cast - has become only the fourth film to earn $100 million in its second weekend, alongside 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens', 'Jurassic World' and 'The Avengers'.

What's more, only 'The Force Awakens' has enjoyed a better second weekend than 'Black Panther'.

News of the film's box office success come shortly after director Ryan Coogler admitted he couldn't have passed up the opportunity to helm the new Marvel movie.

The filmmaker revealed that the project became his most "personal" movie because it was his chance to tell a fictional story about the continent which gave birth to his ancestors without it being about the slave trade.

He shared: "For me this opportunity was unique because I could make something I truly hadn't seen before.

"As an African American, our history with the continent is very fraught. We're not generally able to tie our lineage back as a result of a very specific traumatic experience that happened to us.

"So how we learn about the continent is skewed through that lens, through that relationship, and how we learn about ourselves is skewed. There was a gap in my own identity. So in many ways this is my most personal film."